


Critical

by Sassageddon



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Original Character(s), Time Powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-05-31 23:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6492892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sassageddon/pseuds/Sassageddon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new meta-human stirs up everyone's plans for the city, but what happens when they're also the only one that can stop speedsters in their tracks?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A little over a year ago, the particle accelerator exploded and the dark matter released created a storm that had varying affects to the cities inhabitants. Some people were given abilities, most view them as 'gifts', others as 'curses'.

There's only one person we know we can thank the particle accelerator explosion for, 'The Flash'.

But this story isn't about the scarlet speedster. It's about a different person that was affected, one that hopelessly tried to stay out of the speedsters way.

Over the past year, anomalies have been recorded all over the city. All ranging in their severity. Things going from brand new, to rusted in a few small hours.

It was only after 'The Flash' started zooming about that the events were connected, and the papers had this new meta dubbed in the week. Which may or may not have to do with a STAR labs employee.

But again, this isn't about the team at STAR labs.

-

DECEMBER 11, 2013

CENTRAL CITY

Bzzt. 'DR. Winters, Abigail Dennier is here to see you.'

A slender hand clicked the receiver, 'Send them in.' The hand was attached to the doctor, who's hazel eyes were weary from the long day. She was just happy the day was almost over. But, she also wished she could have seen more patients, there just seemed to never be toughen time to see them all.

She worked at a smaller Medical Center in the city that helped those that wouldn't be able to get medical attention otherwise. Since she had graduated she'd been living and working in Central City. She had a small house on the outskirts of the city, one that she didn't see as much as she wanted to. But it was nice. She had inherited it from her Dad, he passed from lung cancer.

She sighed before getting the door, opening it just as the patient got there. Her patient was a teen, really thin with scraggly clothes. She gave the patient a small smile, 'Hello Abigail, how have you been?'

'Hey Val, I'm not so good. Think I need another dose.' Her voice was raspy, much like it had been on her last visit.

'If I keep prescribing you the antibiotics you will build up a resistance to them. You should consider going to the hospital. But only if you still have it after this round.' Abigail had had a throat infection the last time she was in, but it just kept coming back. Dr. Valerie Winters had taken a swab and found out it wasn't just an infection. It was tonsillitis. 'You may even have to look at getting your tonsils removed. I know its costly but it will be better in the long run.'

'I know, I'm just scared.'

The duo were now siting in the good DR's lair. Well, office. Dr, Winters was at her desk, writing down notes for the appointment. 'I know what it can be like, but you should seriously consider doing so. You may have to save for a while, but it will be better than taking antibiotics twice a day whenever you catch something.'

She just nodded, looking to the floor. 'I'll look into it. I promise.'

The DR nodded, 'Good, now let me look at your tonsils...'

It was another fifteen minutes later before the visit was over. Abigail tonsils were still inflamed like the last visit, they didn't seem to want to get better. It was infuriating for the Doctor.

She was the last patient she had to see before she headed home. She took her dark blonde hair out of its bun and packed her things, making sure everything was locked up. She even made sure her office door was locked before making for the lobby, and ultimately the parking lot.

'Good night, Jess.' Valerie called as she left, 'I hope you have fun at the event tonight.'

'I will Dr. Winters, you have a good night too!' Jess called as she poked her head out from behind the counter. She was finishing up the paperwork for the day before she heads out. She was usually stuck with the evening shift.

She was out the door and to her car moments later. Her car was a sedan, simple and just what she needed to get from a to b.

She pulled into her house in about half an hour, there wasn't as much traffic as normal, something she reasoned had to do with the particle accelerator.

She got inside, and pulled out some left over, heating them up and flipping the tv on. Every channel seemed to have the same thing plastered all over it. The particle accelerator. And it was due to be turned on in twenty minutes.

Valerie ate her food while watching all the press surrounding the particle accelerator, and now was its time to shine. The camera switched angels and it showed the site as a whole, people were all around the building waiting to see anything about it.

And boy, did they see something.

Instead of the gentle confirmation that the particle accelerator had indeed turned on, a large beam of light shot into the sky, a shock-wave rushed and there was a sonic-boom. The particle accelerator had exploded.

The lights flickered in her house, then they went out completely. She was thankful that that was all that had happened. And she knew that tomorrow was going to be crazy at work.

She stood to look for candles in her cupboard, only when she was finally in the kitchen, the storm she hadn't noticed had spread over her house. And the shock-wave reached her home at the same time, in a rush of sound and blinding light, everything shattered. And everything slowed. At 8.02 PM December 11, DR. Valerie Winters was knocked unconscious by a wave of dark matter.


	2. Chapter 2

*DISCLAIMER: ANY FLASH (2014) CHARACTERS, EVENTS, PLACES OR RELATED ARCS ARE OWNED BY DC AND THE CW NETWORK. ANYTHING UNRELATED, SUCH AS ORIGINAL STORIES OR CHARACTERS WERE CREATED BY MYSELF. ANYTHING PERTAINING TO ANY PERSONS LIVING OR DECEASED IS STRICTLY COINCIDENTAL, AND ANYTHING OFFENSIVE WAS NOT MEANT TO BE SO. 

THIS FIC IS STRICTLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND AS SUCH SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO END AT THE FINALE OF S1, AS SUCH IT WILL BE SHORT.*

 

 

I awoke to my usual house. But nothing was usual about why I woke where I did, in the kitchen. The wooden floors were covered in shattered glass, I was lucky that I hand't gotten any shards embedded in my skin when I fell.

I done a quick mental check to see if everything as still in place. To make sure nothing was sore, or for the tell tale sign that I was bleeding, or had been bleeding.

But there was nothing, and even though I knew I could injure myself further by moving, I still done so. No one would think to check my house for days, and by then any injury.. Well I didn't want to think about it.

It was morning now, meaning I had been unconscious all night. I cautiously made my way through the glass, and found shoes so I could move about with less worry. I done another basic check over myself to make sure I didn't have any injuries to worry about, and there were none that I could find. I was glad that was the case, I would need to go into work today. And it would be BUSY.

Especially if the Particle accelerator affected the city as much as it did my home.

***

The landline began to ring, with the cell tower barely functioning it was the only way to reach the doctor. She had managed to clean her home, somewhat. But there seemed to still be glass in places she could only wonder about.

She reached it just before it went to voicemail, 'Hello, Dr. Valerie Winters speaking.'

'HELLO, I'm so sorry. But its gone. The building is just not a building anymore.'

She furrowed her brows, the woman, Jess, was more mumbling than talking coherently. 'Jess, slow down. What's this about a building?'

'STAR labs blew up, but the shock-wave damaged our building and... And it's not safe in there.'

'Not safe?' Valerie breathed.

'They had to close it, and I don't think we'll be able to open again, what are we gonna do?' Jess started to sob, she'd just gotten the job at the center a few months ago after moving out. He could barely afford her place with the job, and that was only because she had a flat mate. But now? Now what was she going to do?

'It's going to be fine Jess, we'll work it out.'

'It's not okay! We have no job, how are we gonna eat?!'

Valerie wasn't to worried with that. She had managed to save a small amount, and that was thanks to having the house she was in. 'Jess, you're an amazing admin girl. Anyone would think your an asset, so you'll be fine. And I'm a doctor, so I'll find work somewhere.'

That was a sure thing in her line of work. There would always be sick people. There would always be injured people. It just irked her that there was never enough time to see to everyone that came in. Waiting times could be ridiculous in some departments.

But that was the way the world worked, and she was starting to realize she would never have enough time on her hands, she would just have to do her best. Like always. But sometimes, she wished it didn't have to be the same.

'Dr. Winters?'

The call of her name brought her from her thoughts, 'You don't have to call me that. I've told you countless times to call me Valerie.'

'Right, sorry...' She could hear a sigh through the phone. 'I'll talk to you later, Valerie. Hope you can find some work soon.'

'You too Jess. I'm sure you'll make some company proud.' She hung up before plopping down on the couch. This world had just gone from messed up to crazy. She just didn't know how messed up yet.

It took just over a month, and a handful of interviews just for her to get a part-time job in the hospital. Even then it was one to two shifts a week. But she was desperate.

It was in the E.D. Her first case came in, a bullet wound to the calf, it went clean through. But there was another to the chest, if they got the man into the operating room he would make it without a doubt.

They got him in the room, got the anesthetics, and he was out light a light. They began the procedure, first deciding on the best way to remove the bullet before proceeding.

Dr. Valerie Winters was extremely nervous, her heart was racing and she had to steel herself before they began. But that wasn't what happened.

For the first time in Central City, time was altered. But not to everyone in the city, or the world. No, it wss to a singular patient in the E.R. Patient Zero is what she came to call him. And it wasn't for any good reason.

His timeline was sped up, and it cost him his life. Instead of the operation going smoothly, too much blood was lost. And he woke up, screaming bloody murder at the doctors. But it wasn't their fault.

He died ten minutes after entering the theater. His cause of death was blood loss due to the gunshot wounds.

But it wasn't the first case like this, infections only a few days old were sometimes found to have inflated severely overnight. Or, they would just vanish.

No one would notice for weeks that this all occurred when one Doctor was on shift. But she did. But it was too late to right what had happened.

Her training began six months after the particle accelerator explosion. STAR LABS had taken a patient from one of the wards to their remaining facilities. He was in a coma caused from the explosion but she just thought he was some unlucky sod who had been struck by lightning.

She was wrong.

Valerie left her job six months after getting it, she turned to other means of getting money. More nefarious means, but it was money. She couldn't be at the hospital when she was doing more harm than good.

She wandered the streets at times, slowing down cars, speeding others up. She even discovered how to pause electronics. In short, she was getting better. But she wasn't good enough, one day she knew she'd have to confront the people at STAR Labs, and hope they could tell her what had happened. Why they had ruined the lives of thousands of people, if they knew the risks. If they knew it could curse people like it had her.

All she had wanted to do was save people, and her abilities had taken that from her. She had to switch off the side of her that cared about everything. And it cost her, now she was something else.

But despite how she lived in those months following her leaving the hospital, she tried to only target those who were criminals. It was harder than it seemed, sometimes she got it wrong.

This was how CCPD's finest found her one day. They were investigating reports of a hooded figure taking down thugs, muggers, car jackers- or would be car jackers. Some never got the chance to get in the car, they just stopped and... Well the rests history. Lets just say the cities crime rate was lower than it was before the explosion, but it gave way to a new class of criminal.

Valerie Winters wasn't a doctor anymore, not in practice anyway. Now she just wanted to know so many things, and she had all the time in the world.

Well, she would have if CCPD's Detective West, and his blonde compatriot hadn't come across one of her daring rescues. Three shots were fired before she vanished.

Neither of them knew what had occurred.

***

Three streets away a dark figure slouches against a wall in an alley-way. She had paused the three in the alleyway so she could escape. A bullet had 'nearly' lodged itself in her shoulder. She managed to pause it just in time. Any longer and it would have lodged itself in her shoulder-blade. But, she was getting better, and now she knew there were cops who knew she was different.

The pullet had just pierced her skin, she'd have to patch it up when she made it home. She jumped on her bike when she found it a street over and headed home.

Little did she know, it would be weeks before a streak took the city by storm.


	3. Chapter 3

Like I had said at the beginning, this story isn't about the Flash. It's about someone else. Someone who has the potential to be great. I think.

That' the thing about being great, or trying to be. You either do it, or you don't. If you do it, you either great for being a hero, or for doing monstrous things.

Hazel eyes scan the city, it had been just over a month since a streak had been working its way around the city. And so far Valerie Winters hadn't seen the Streak. She just figured it was something the particle accelerator had affected.

She wasn't wrong, she went into a local coffee shop. Jitters. She didn't really frequent any, but she did go to them on occasion, and it was here where she discovered what they were calling them. Meta-humans.

There was a man who could create multiple copies of himself. And then there was the Streak. A crazy fast dude who was fighting clone man. Or whatever they called him.

After getting her coffee, and seeing the news about the 'metas', DR. Winters left the store. She was hardly home anymore, she found that her metabolism had drastically decreased. She knew it had to do with the particle accelerator. But she also knew she had her limits, but they were also improving.

Last week she managed to stop an armed robbery that she was caught in the middle of. She paused everyone in the store for 10 minutes.

And there was a whole lot more than she anticipated. She usually only paused two- maybe three- people max at a time. That day there was two armed men, a cashier and another person on the floor doing night-fill. There was a kid in with their Mom. So there were six in total, not to bad for the convenience store.

She took their two guns and a knife, noting how young they were, but she moved quickly. By the time she was done, their guns were in a bag, and the police had shown up. But by then she was in the alley and making for her bike.

All things considered, she still got her crisps and took off back home where she crashed until the morning.

So while she didn't need to eat as much, using her abilities took a toll on her. She had to sleep a lot more than normal people. And she had managed to get a job back at the hospital, but she only worked one day a week. She was still gaining control of her abilities. And more often than not, she found herself in a bad situation.

***

Another week passed and the Streak still hadn't noticed anything strange going on, nor had anyone at STAR labs. Not that they'd let on anyway.

A gas man was wreaking havoc on the city and I started heading out of town to check on a patient that couldn't make it in. After all, I had all the time in the world. Plus, I was getting paid extra, so why not?

The patient was an elderly man, he was meant to come in to see me in the morning. But he usually came in with his son, he couldn't drive because of his med's. But he'd missed the appointment, and neither of them had rung. So Valerie said she'd go after work.

With work finishing later, it was dark on the way out there. I decided to take my sedan, he may have to come in, and it'd be cheaper than calling an ambulance, especially if he just needed the transportation.

I was half way there when I realized my phone was basically dead, I got the charger out and hooked it up. When I looked up from attaching my LG to the car, I saw people on the road. Two things happened at once, I sped the strangers times up, basically fast-forwarding them, while she slowed the car to avoid them. One was wearing red, the other wearing stupidly dark clothes for this time of night. But I wasn't really expecting them to basically evaporate. Well, one of them did.

He turned into a cloud that was moving for the other dude, who just seemed to vanish. But cloud-man was still chasing after him. We were on a fairly unused road.

But it seemed to be fit for meta-fights.

My car was at a stand-still, and I relinquished my speed hold over the two. They were now going at their normal speeds. But I couldn't see gas-man anywhere.

Then my door opened, my seat-belt was un-clipped and I was out of my car before you could say pronto.

'Stop, Streak, or I'll kill her.' Stupidly clothed dude sad to the scarlet clad man.

'You really could have worded that better.' I muttered, earning a jab from the gas man.

Streak held up a hand, signaling for him to stop. 'No one has to get hurt.' I thought I could hear him muttering to someone, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.

'It's to late for that.'

I could feel him begin to turn, or change, or whatever it was that he done to become gas, and passed him. I looked at him, and could see him in a different color. Literally. It was like he was a green fog, but before he became it, he kinda changed colors.

I managed to free my arm from gas mans half gassy grasp, and moved away.

'He's not moving. What happened?' Streak asked me, and I just looked at gas man. 'Please tell me you did that.'

I looked to him again, 'Yes, I did. I can't do it forever though.'

'How far can you get away with him staying like this?'

I shook my head, 'I honestly don't know. I think it's line of sight.'

Streak nodded, 'I have to take care of him before you can go, can you hide over there?'

Instead of answering, i just walked off where he wanted me to go. Then I sat down and tried to make myself as invisible as I could at the side of the road. Only, as I finally got down, I kinda went all the way and my lights were out.

***

The Streak battled the gas man for a few more moments before the gas man was spent, and then he sped him to his notorious hideout. That was before he realized he forgot something, but when he went back, his forgotten something was out cold.

That was when he realized that she must have used all of her strength up as well. He picked her up carefully, watching as her dark blonde bangs fell way from her face, checking one last time to see if he did have a good hold of her, he sped them back to STAR labs and told his accomplices everything that had happened.

They didn't know what to do with her other than observe her for the night, and figure out what she could do. While she was asleep at least. And they took blood samples.

Only one of them looked pleased when the others turned away, and then he excused himself for the night. Knowing all to well that the Streak wasn't his only ticket home.


	4. Chapter 4

Three days passed before Valerie woke up. She wasn't expecting to be in some lab, nor was she expecting for someone to be inches away from her taking her vital signs.

To be honest, she was freaking out thinking she was being experimented on. So, she froze the person. Or, she thought she did. When she moved the person jumped, the person being female with hair a similar color to her own. Only this person was in a lab coat, and she guessed slightly shorter than herself.

'Hi, I'm Dr. Caitlin Snow, Ba... The Streak brought you here after you collapsed.'

'Where is 'here'?' Valerie pondered, looking around at the pristine lab. It took her a moment to notice the STAR labs logo on some of the screens and tech around the place. She was in the place that ruined her life. And she couldn't even pause the place.

Or could she, it may have been a fluke that it didn't work before. So, she tried again, and this time it worked. Dr. Snow was, in every sense of the word, paused. Her mouth hung open as if she were about to speak and she held a torch up. Probably to test her reaction to light.

She detached all the wires connected to her, and got up. She was glad she was still in the clothes she was in the other day, but at the same time she knew she needed a shower and probably stank the whole facility out. Or she would have , but ever since she got her time powers, the only time she needed to sleep was if she had used them that day.

It had made her wonder on a number of occasions if she would age, now that she had some control over time. But, she wouldn't find out any time soon.

She was half way out the door when Caitlin began to move again, 'I ne... How?' She spun around to see Valerie walking through the cortex, and then to see Cisco Ramon walk trough the other door, only to freeze. But only in shock.

'Who-ah! You're up. And leaving?' Cisco was pumped, and looking over to Dr Snow, only to see her slightly annoyed. 'You shouldn't leave yet, we have a few more tests to run.'

Valerie was again trying to pause him, but it wasn't working. She went to move she nearly fell, Cisco being the only reason she didn't fall.

'Bring her back in here.' Caitlin called to Cisco.

'C'mon,' he slung her arm around her shoulder and helped her back into the room she woke up in. 'I have to call Barry and Dr Wells.'

\--

'No.' I gasped out. 'I want to leave.'

'You can't leave like this.' Caitlin stated, while looking me in the eye.

The man who had walked into the lab was calling people already. I didn't want to meet them. I wanted to leave. Now. Even if it wasn't the best idea I had. Even if it meant not using my powers to do so, I would do it. I wasn't ready to face the people that did this to me. 'I can. Who is that?' I moved my head towards the Hispanic on the phone. He kept glancing back at me, only when he noticed me he gave me a big grin and a thumbs up.

'That's Cisco. He works here at STAR Labs. You were affected by the particle accelerator explosion ten months ago, and we'd like to run some more tests to make sure you're okay before we let you go.'

There was a whoosh! A man was standing there with floozy brown hair and green eyes. He had a slim build, and was watching me. 'Hi, we met the other night. And I think that thing you done to Mist.'

'Mist?' I asked, 'The gas dude?'

'Yeah, Cisco names the metas?'

'He couldn't come up with something better than the streak? I mean, people who don't now of you could think you're a serial streaker.' The words came out before I could stop them, and the scarlet speedster went the same color as his suit. It wasn't hard to put the two and two together when he sped in here.

Then there was the sound of a wheel chair rolling into the room. I looked past the Streak, seeing none other than Harrison Wells, in a Wheelchair of all things.

As soon as he was by the speedsters side he held out a hand, 'Hello, Dr Valerie Winters. I am, as you are already probably well aware, Dr Harrison Wells.' He smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was a smile that was slightly unnerving.

But, I still took his hand and shook it despite every bone in my body wanting to test my abilities out on him. Make him age beyond belief and die of old age. Or aging the structure above him so it crushes him alive. I mean, it would be harder to pin that one on me. 'Nice to meet you.'

'We understand that you , and I quote 'paused', Kyle Nimbus, or The Mist as Cisco so elegantly put it, three nights ago.' Wells said as he wheeled to one of the monitors in the adjoining room.

'Three nights ago?' I thought noting that I said it as well. I didn't even realize it had been that long. But there was something eating away at me about Dr Wells. Something I couldn't quite peg down at the moment. It was like he didn't belong here. That was the only way I could put it.

'I forgot to mention that? Sorry. We need to better understand your powers, we need to know if you're a threat. To us, OR the city.' Caitlin said gently.

Was I a threat? I was, I had killed people because of my abilities. None of it was on purpose, but it had happened, but I was better now. I just had to think of a way to bring them down. Well, more specifically the one who owns and built the particle accelerator. DR Wells.

But despite everything that I had been the cause of, I had never killed anyone willingly. It had on ever happened by accident, when I was at work. So, the question was, could I prevent that from happening again? I don't know. I only know that the only way it wont happen is if I have a grasp on my powers. Like I do now. But I'm afraid of them at the same time.

'I'm not much of a threat to anything at the moment. I couldn't even pause you for a minute.' I groaned, motioning towards Caitlin. I was annoyed that I couldn't do one of the simplest things I'd trained myself to do.

She nodded, 'Is that how you got over there so quickly?' I nodded once, 'It probably explains why you nearly fainted again.'

I nodded again, 'They've never affected my like that before.'

'Perhaps you needed to recharge?' The scarlet speedster suggested.

'I'm not a battery.'

'Perhaps Barry is correct, we know nothing about your abilities. There is a chance that you needed to recharge. What usually happens after you use your abilities?' Dr Wells spoke up, looking over from the computer he was working on.

It was good to finally know the scarlet speedsters name. But why did it matter what usually happened after I used my abilities? All that happened was... What did happen? I slept, but I didn't really have to. Not nearly as much as I use to sleep. 'I usually sleep for a few hours.'

'What can you do, other than pause people? Can you rewind time, because that would be so cool!' Cisco walked over with a table, 'We took some readings while you were unconscious, and done some blood tests.'

'Your blood showed us that there shouldn't be any reason why you passed out. But we don't know what goes on in your head when you use your abilities. We'd need to do extra tests to see why you pass out. It may even be why you feel like you need to sleep.' Caitlin continued for Cisco, 'Barry here just needs to eat a lot more, but you...' Her face scrunched up, 'we can't know for sure until we run some more tests.'

AT that moment someone's phone decided to ring, Barry answered it right away, taking it from his coat pocket. 'It's work, I gotta go.' In a whoosh he was gone.

'You get use to it.' Cisco said offhandedly.

'Just like you get use to controlling certain aspects of time?'

'So cool. Temporus?'

'I'm not a hero. Or whatever it is that Barry is.'

'But if you could help people with your powers, would you do it?' Dr Snow asked.

I shrugged, 'I already help people at the hospital.'

'Do you use your powers there?'

I looked away from everyone when she asked that, 'No, no I don't.'

'Why? Wouldn't you be able to save a lot of lives using them?'

I didn't answer, I couldn't answer. The last time I tried to help someone, it backfired. So, I no longer use it to help injured or sick people. 'Can I go now?'

'If you agree to come in tomorrow so we can test your abilities?'

I nodded, 'Fine.' I didn't want to come in tomorrow, I knew I was just telling them I'd come in so they'd let me leave. I didn't want to come back here. Not even if it meant learning more about my abilities as they called them.

I said goodbye to them and left. My car wasn't in the parking lot, and I didn't have any cash on me. But that was fine, I'd been doing a lot more walking since I'd gotten my abilities, and it would help to clear my head about what I was going to do from now on.

It had been ten months since all I wanted was more time to see more patients, to help them. Now that I had all the time in the world, the world didn't have enough for me.


	5. Chapter 5

Despite everything that had happened yesterday, I knew I couldn't escape the reality of it all. After thinking over everything last night, over what I had gained by being taken to the Labs. I knew I had to take them up on their offer.

They could make me stronger, help me to understand my abilities better than what I did now. And then when I have nothing to learn, or nothing to gain, I can turn it against them. Destroy their world like they did mine.

Even if The streak isn't to blame for the particle accelerator explosion, his friends at the lab were. As much as I didn't want to hurt Barry when the time came, I would if it came down to it.

Since yesterday, and leaving the lab, I have felt a lot better too. It was as if something was entirely wrong at the Lab, like time wasn't what it should be, like it was out of place. Which hasn't happened anywhere else. I guessed it has something to do with the Particle accelerator explosion. Even if it effected the whole city, it was like the labs just held all of the stuff that didn't agree with me.

But I still had to be there early, especially if I wanted to avoid any unwanted attention by the team at Star Labs. I took my bike, my car was still MIA, probably still on the road. Though someone would have had to of drove past it by now and reported it. I'd have to ask Barry when I saw him next.

 

I saw STAR labs in a new light when I walked in. I payed more attention as I made my way down its halls and into the cortex. I wasn't half dazed from my three day nap, nor was I trying to figure out what was off about Dr Wells. I just figured he was affected by the Particle Accelerator like I was. Not in the time powers way, just affected. But his team didn't know. I could be certain of that much.

Work hadn't tried to call me after the incident, which was odd. Then again the team may have rung for me, or they guessed that the person I went out to see was fine and informing them slipped my mind. I put a mental note in to call them when I got home.

\--

An hour passed before we got to an air field. It was apparently leased by the lab, something that they were barely able to retain with the explosion just over 10 months ago now.

'Right, now put these on.' Cisco said as he handed me some fancy gloves that had some sensors on them, along with a band that would record my brain activity.

Thus I put them on, slightly worried about what we were actually going to test out here. 'So, what are we actually testing?'

'We are going to be measuring any potential energy you may be emitting when you alter time.' Dr Wells said as he wheeled up to us. 

'What if it can't be detected? I mean, there aren't any 'time particles' that we know of...' I found my words faltering as I spoke, that feeling was back again. The feeling where something was off. It as there at the labs earlier, but that was to be expected. It was almost as if it was following them around. To be more specific, it was like it was following Dr Wells.

Perhaps there were time particles, and we just couldn't use them yet. 'Then again there is someone working on particles at Mercury Labs.' I finished.

'Wow, you've done your research.' Caitlyn commented with a wry smile.

I shrugged, I didn't really know what to say. Who wouldn't try to find out as much as possible about some sudden ability that they found out about? It was the best way to avoid losing control. It was also better to put the energy you'd use freaking out into a better method. Instead of saying all that to them, I simply said, 'It seemed like the smart thing to do.'

'That it was. Now, we will get Dr Snow to drop something and I would like you to freeze it.' Dr Wells nodded to Caitlyn.

That was all the warning I got before I heard something smash, I turned to see Cisco with a look of horror on his face. He had just knocked off a cup from his set-up. 'That was one of a kind!'

'I told you where I got it Cisco, it's no big deal.' Caitlin said as she walked towards Cisco, already intent on helping him.

A flash of red in lightning streaked by and stopped. It made me jump and release a small squeak. And as fast as Barry was here, he was gone again.

*

'...I would like you to freeze it.' I was once again facing Dr Wells. How that happened, when Barry was just here, I had no clue. I turned around as he finished speaking to look for the speedster. Only he was nowhere in sight.

But Cisco's prized cup was halfway to the ground when it suddenly halted. He quickly grabbed it while it was in the air. 'NICE!' He called, 'I really like this cup, it's...'

'One of a kind?' We finished together. He looked a little shocked at that. But I was still wondering what was going on, shouldn't Barry be here? 'Wasn't Barry just here?'

'No?' Caitlyn answered, 'He was at CCPD when I messaged him.' She was confused, they all were. 

When Caitlyn finished speaking Barry appeared in his crimson costume. He looked around at everyone's faces, seeing the shock, at what, he couldn't fathom. 'What did I miss.'

'Precognition.' Cisco stated, the awe was evident in his voice. 

I shook my head, that wasn't it at all. It was like the world jolted back a moment. 'I don't think it was that.' I mumbled. 'I saw your cup break...'

'AND you saved it!' Cisco beamed, it was a 'May the 4th be with you' Star Wars cup that he was fond of.

'But the first time I...' I sighed, I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Everything was getting more complicated. 'Can we just do more tests?'

'Okay, I'm completely lost.' Barry stated, looking around at everyone hoping for an answer.

'Later, for now, more tests.' Caitlyn smirked.

***

It was during the testing that Barry was filled in on what had happened. My focus wasn't really there today, and that was proven when they asked me to do various tests.  
At first it was stopping small things. Then the objects steadily became larger. 

That was until they put Caitlyn in the Star labs Van and got her to drive towards me at full speed. She protested until we convinced her that since Barry was here, he would be able to speed me out of the way should anything go wrong.

But it didn't everything went according to plan. The van going over 60 M/ph when it went to a sudden standstill, and it was only a few feet away from me when it happened, Barry was by my side in an instant before he noted it had stopped.

'Woh!' Was his only reaction before we both walked to the side to allow the vehicle, and its occupant, to regain their course through time.

 

Months passed with the Team measuring, testing and training me to better understand my powers. We came to the conclusion that Barry's speed and my power weren't compatible, and that was only due to tone of the sessions. 

We were wondering what would happen if I sped up the speedster. The result wasn't to bad, or it wouldn't have been if I hadn't of ended up in another coma. I was out for a solid two days, in the lab once more. From that day on it had been a no go for me using my powers on the Streak. Or the Flash.

I still hadn't been able to figure out why there was a time-lapse on the first day, nor why there was the oddity surrounding Dr Wells.

***

Two weeks before Christmas and I could tell something was up with the gang. We had figured out that I didn't emit any energy, nor did I absorb it. Not in the true sense of the word. It was like I was affecting the world, and it was affecting me at the same time.

Thus, the more I practiced, the less I had to recharge. The less I had to recharge the less I slept, and the less I slept, the more I worried about whether what I had planned would ever actually work. I had decided more or less that I should confront Dr Wells about the oddity. But how to do it was going to be a pain. Especially when I was still on the sidelines about what I was going to do about these powers.

Time was never gonna run out for me. Or so I guessed. I hadn't told them about the sleep thing, or the food thing. I should have, but I wasn't going to. It would change their calculations considerably. And I didn't want them knowing everything about me.

 

Today was a day when I was scheduled to go into the labs for a 'check-up'. I usually headed in at 9am, giving me half an hour to get there. It got everything done with so I could have the rest of the day to myself.

But something was different in the lab today. I could tell it seemed quiet, almost too quiet when I was heading down to the cortex. The reason for it was immediately known when I got to my destination.

The place was devoid of all life. It was usually filled with a speedy meta and two scientists who would shortly be joined by a third, Wells, when I arrived. But today it wasn't so.

I sighed, checking my phone. There were no new messages, nothing had been cancelled. Unless I was meant to meet them at the Air Strip? But they hadn't said anything.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of a wheel-chair coming don the hall. So at least someone was here. Even if it was Oddity. I smirked at the nickname. I should have thought of it sooner. 

'Hello Dr Winters.' His voice sounded from behind me, 'I didn't think you would be coming in today.'

I turned to face Oddity, 'I didn't get a text, or call, telling me not to come in, so I thought it'd be the same thing as last week. And I've told you to call me Valerie before.'

Oddity looked at me, then turned and wheeled to one of the computers. 'I am sorry you had to come all this way for nothing, Valerie.'

His dismissal annoyed me more than it should have. But he had always been short with me for some reason. I had never been openly hostile with him. I hadn't been hostile with anyone. Not in the labs at least, the most violent I had been was when I had to poke people with needles at work. Or in self defense.

Then something clicked. He was the only one here. It was the perfect moment to ask, or try to, as subtly as I could, get information about the oddity. 'Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something. If you don't mind, that is?' Yeah, subtle.

'That would depend on the question.' He replied smoothly, his focus now solely on me.

How to phrase the question would be the hardest part, or it could be quite simple. There was something just off about him, and I didn't know if it was because of the accident, or if it was something else entirely. I decided I should just spit the most logical question out, instead of jumping to conclusions. About anything.

'I was just wondering if the particle accelerator affected you at all?' he went to talk, but before he could say anything I already felt the need to clarify. If there was anything I knew about questions as vaguely put as that one, it was that you could weasel your way out of it easily. Especially if your name was Dr Harrison Wells. 'I don't mean what happened with your legs or anything like that. I mean, is it possible that your a 'meta-human'.'

He contemplated what I said for a moment before answering. 'I did not gain any abilities from the particle accelerator explosion. No.' He stated it calmly, 'What made you think that I had been?'

I shifted in my spot, before liking my lips. I didn't really want to say anything about what I had been sensing around him, but I had backed myself into a corner. 'It's just that there's something off around the lab, and at first I thought it was just from the explosion. But, when we were at the airfield, it was there again. Like it was following you.'

He took his glasses of and cleaned them putting them back. 'Go on.'

I looked at my phone again, wishing I hadn't said that much, but I just seem to talk more when I'm nervous. And here I'll go babbling more. If only time wasn't on my side. 'Over the last few months we've been testing my abilities, I've come to realise it isn't following you, and it's not coming from you either...' I ran a hand over my face, looking around the lab before settling my eyes back onto Harrison Wells. 'I think it's my abilities telling me you're not meant to be in this time. It's the only way I can put it. But, that's just not possible. Not unless you're from the future and know a distant version of me. OR, you had a time machine. Then there's always the possibility that Barry can travel through time, and that's the reason why I get stuffed around when I use my powers on him. But that would mean...'

Everything truly clicked into place then. It would explain why he was so interested in the two of them. But, if his reactions were anything to judge by, he was never expecting her. Just Barry. He was stranded in the present day. But there was so much more that would need explaining. Like why he would look like Harrison Wells. 

'...You got stranded in the past and probably sped up events to get home, to your time, quicker.' I sat down on the nearest chair, my head in my hands. 'This is going to be a special kind of hang-over.'

'You're not wrong. I am from the future, but now that you know that...'

I look up, hearing the threat in his voice. But he wasn't the helpless man in a wheelchair. He was towering above me. A darkness in his eyes I'd not seen before. 'You're going to kill me.'

'Perhaps, will you tell them about me?' There was a small glimmer of hope in his eyes, and what seemed like a searching look. That look was all it took for me to know that he knew me in the future.

I shook my head, 'I can't deny someone their home.'


End file.
